With delightful sights and enticing cuisine, it's no wonder France is at the top of the list for many tourists. And not only tourists, people who are banking on profiting from these fascinations are snapping up properties fast too. France also boasts collections from masters of both modern and contemporary art.

However, if you're looking to buy a home in France as a foreign investor, don't be distracted by the sights. It's easy to be carried away by the beaches of Riveira, wandering through the battlefields of Normandy or viewing castles along the French countryside. You will need to focus your efforts on getting the deal done right. Let’s consider some stats on French property prices.

Facts about property prices in France

Prices are competitive and mortgage rates are currently low in France, according to Notaires de France. In the past year, over 900,000 properties have changed hands. Even though a surprisingly large number of these properties (90%) were bought by people looking to live in, rather than let. For investors, this means there hasn't been a property bubble and this might just be the right time to buy a house in France. Price is increasing steadily. Notaires de France estimated a year on year increase of 1.2% in property prices by August of this year and a jump of 4% in property prices by the end of the year.

What to know when buying property in France

Although the process of buying property in France is fairly straightforward, here are some things you need to know:

1. You're not required to hire a solicitor. As a general rule, buying property in France must proceed without an advocator or solicitor. It can't be delegated. So you have to travel and spend time and effort on acquiring the property.  Although property buying and land registration in France are secure, you need to have your wits about you.

2. You should learn French. If buying a house in France, you should know French or at least hire a translator. Trying to infer what the other person is saying will only give you a false sense of security. On the other hand, a knowledge of the language will bolster your confidence.

3. The notaire will not verify everything. The notaire may not be able to tell you if the property would give good ROI or what liens are currently on the property. There is room for you to do your own research about the property and about prices in that neighborhood. It's also advisable to get a specialist property lawyer.

4. Estate agents mostly act for the seller. Take care to read through any written offer. Make sure that the content of the offer are subject to a written sales and purchase offer. Also make sure you read through the content of the sales and purchase offer prepared by the agent to ensure equity. As with buying property anywhere, take your time before signing on the dotted line.

5. Local mortgages can be favorable. You might want to consider buying with a French mortgage as mortgages in France are relatively cheap. If you'll be seeking a mortgage, it's important you throw in a conditional clause in the sale contract.

In conclusion, having your own notaire is advisable. Don't expect the notaire working for both seller and buyer to seek your best interest.

This article explores seven basic reasons why people nurture the dream of owning foreign property

The ebbs and flows of foreign property rules in many countries have caused an influx of foreign buyers into their real estate markets. The current trend is that many countries are more accepting of foreign property buyers, unlike before. In some countries, like Australia, it is becoming a malaise, where the overpowering of foreign currency is causing an affordability crisis for residents. Hopefully, this would balance out soon. But, the fact still remains that more people are drawn to global property. In many cases, when countries have modified their laws to be more accommodating to foreign buyers, there have been real estate boom. The historical constitutional change of Thailand's foreign property laws in 1979 brought an influx of foreign investors and few months later, Thailand began experiencing its first real estate boom.

Motivations For Buying Property Abroad

It's not just about wanting to fulfill the lust for adventure. Recently, there have been an increased number of British buying foreign properties. Many of them buy for many reasons, let's just examine three:

·         Cost. Will you buy a house in Britain if you can buy two houses for the same price in Brazil? The principal motivation is pricing. The appeal of buying property abroad lies in the fact that you can buy a home conveniently and still have enough money left to have a whale of a time in your chosen country. For most people, cost is the strong motivation for buying overseas.

·         Possibility of an investment. Some property investment hotspots abroad are experiencing influx of foreign buyers. While these areas may not be the first choice for people who want to slash price in half; it is a catch for those who are seeking investment opportunities.

·         Second home. A personal reason for buying property abroad is to own a vacation property. For many affluent individuals, having a place, maybe a seaside location in Turkey to retire from the hustle and bustle, is important. With lower cost of living and interesting destinations, expats can live the good life abroad. These vacation properties also offer sound return on investment.

Benefits Of Buying Property Abroad

Broadly speaking, let's take a quick look at the 7 benefits of buying property abroad:

1.      Diversify your portfolio.

Buying property abroad is a great way to diversify your portfolio. Having all your investments, stocks and all, in your country of Birth, is like putting your eggs in one basket. Also, you can invest in a hard asset, real estate, which is proven to be more reliable than stocks.

2.      Diversify currency. Having all your investments denominated, in your local currency, is also 'putting your eggs in one basket'. You don't want to be at the mercy of the local economy.

3.      Reinvent your life. Apart from building your net worth, owning a home abroad is a way to gain a rich cultural diversity and more momentum, especially during retirement.

4.      Own a second home.  Instead of spending your life savings on a second home, buying a second home abroad can be 5 times cheaper. There could also be a chance to make good vacation rental income as your vacation home increases in value.

5.      Retire overseas. You can take advantage of the low cost of living abroad to enjoy your retirement.

6.      Tax deductible travel. In the US, the cost of traveling to manage your overseas property is tax-deductible.

7.      Earn income. A rental income overseas will generate an income that is not determined by your citizenship country's economy. For instance, rental returns in Medellin, Colombia can be up to 10% and the cost of property ownership there is low.

Buying property abroad is a smart move. But, anybody who wants to take the plunge must be ready to put in work. Don't just expect to sit and wait for your property to grow in value. An investment in real estate requires active and ongoing management.

This article offers practical steps on funding a foreign real estate purchase with equity funds.

Foreign real estate presents mouthwatering deals for investors with steep currency differences, especially in today's unstable financial markets; meaning you could have the upper negotiating edge in a neighboring country. The perk in currency strength is however not compensated for by the financial and legal aspects of sourcing funds for foreign real estate investing.

One financing approach which is gradually gaining traction is the use of equity funds. In this case, deploying liquidity of stocks and securities in foreign real estate capital.

There are four approaches you can take when planning to go this route:

1. Employ Equity REITs: Odds are you've heard about REITs and the huge tax rates at the individual investor level. A REIT is generally a stock that invests in real estate or real estate related securities, like mortgages. A mortgage REIT primarily lends cash to real estate buyers or acquires their existing mortgages. An equity REIT acquires, manages, builds, renovates and sells real estate, mostly commercial real estate.

If you don't want to be in the front line and would prefer to play it safe, REITs present a great way to achieve diversification via liquid investment in real estate. Many international REITs have sprung up over the years. So, investing in foreign real estate should be as simple as locating a good REIT that invests in your country of choice or simply using REIT ETFs. However, don't ignore the fact that REITs come with tax liabilities that can range from 15% to 35% of profit. This is compensated for in a way by tax exemption at the corporate level, as long as 90% of income is distributed to unitholders.

2. Self-directed IRA or Offshore IRA: As much as we wish to help you with country-specific information, you should know that real estate laws aren't invariably the same in any two countries. Hence the importance of having a local mortgage expert or real estate agent (read how to find the right local real estate agent) who can help you with local professional information.

For US residents, using funds from your retirement account or 401k is a great way to employ equity funds for foreign investing. The IRS doesn't restrict holding real estate with your IRA. However, according to an article on Supermoney.com, (https://www.supermoney.com/2017/04/finance-overseas-property/), you won't be able to live in the property until you reach retirement age. In any case, you will need to either set up a self-directed IRA, which allows you to invest in overseas real estate via a third party or broker. Alternatively, you can set up an offshore IRA as a way to gain more control, by taking your self-directed IRA offshore. In this case, you move your self-directed IRA into an offshore Limited Liability company. Setting up an offshore IRA can, however, be costly.

3. Stock Market Liquidity: You can employ liquidity on your stock market investment or securities, subject to tax, by selling your holdings. This presents you with cash to invest directly in foreign real estate.

4. HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit): For home buyers in countries like the USA and Australia, a HELOC allows you to take a loan on an existing home by cashing on real estate equity.

Buying real estate with equity funds is completely legal and carries no extra charges or taxes. However, ensure you report financial proceedings to necessary financial authorities in your home country.

Also, if you're either buying overseas real estate for investment or personal use, reach out to a local real estate agent that can offer market-specific information about taxes for your destination country.